1) Field of the Invention
The field of this invention relates to recreational equipment, and more particularly to a boot binding for a snowboard which is designed to be maneuvered by a human across snow.
2) Description of the Prior Art
Snowboarding is a snow sport. It constitutes a human rider placing himself or herself on the snowboard and then riding to the snowboard on downhill terrain in a manner similar to skiing. The snowboard is shorter and wider than a snow ski, and whereas skiing uses two separate members, one for each foot, the rider utilizes only a single board. The mode of operation of the snowboard is for the rider to stand on the board and instead of the rider's feet pointing forward, the rider's feet face to the side. It is necessary that the rider's feet are to be bound to the board. As opposed to conventional skiing where ski bindings are designed to release the bindings of the foot from the ski in the event that the skier falls, the board remains with the rider if the rider falls when using a snowboard.
In conjunction with skis, "step-in" bindings are well known. Such "step-in" bindings enable the skier to rapidly bind his or her booted feet to his or her skis, as well as release the ski boots from the skis at the end of a ski run while the skier is in the standing position. Within the prior art of snowboards, snowboard bindings have been of complex construction and required several separate steps in order to secure the binding to the boot of the snowboarder. During a day's activity of a snowboarder, the snowboarder must separate his or her boots from the board a plurality of times to accomplish such activities as walking, partaking of refreshments, using of restroom facilities and so forth. It is common for a snowboarder when entering a ski lift to disengage one foot from the snowboard. This removed foot from the snowboard then acts as a pushing device to propel the snowboarder to arrive at the location to gain entrance to the ski lift. At the top of the hill, the snowboarder reengages his or her foot with the snowboard after exiting the ski lift. Within the prior art, the binding procedure for the snowboarder's boot is not easily accomplished.